Fender Unveils John Mayer Signature Stratocaster
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July 22, 2005
Fender Musical Instruments Corporation announced that it has teamed up with Grammy Award winning guitarist, singer and song writer John Mayer to release a new instrument based on Mayer's own personal electric guitars. A combination of classic Fender specifications and newly designed features, the all new Fender John Mayer Signature Model Stratocaster guitar is currently in production at Fender's state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Corona, California, and is steadily shipping to Fender's authorized dealers.
Following a stint at the Berklee College of Music, Mayer independently released his first album in 1999. With the constant touring that followed, Mayer picked up new fans wherever he went, and word-of-mouth about his playing ability and penchant for writing tight songs began to spread rapidly.
He soon caught the attention of record companies and was signed on to record his major label debut, 2001's Room For Squares. The album went triple platinum, and Mayer grabbed a Grammy Award for Best Pop Vocal on "Your Body Is A Wonderland". His follow-up album, 2003's Heavier Things, reached #1 on the US charts, solidifying Mayer's place as one of the most talented new guitarists to hit the scene in quite a long time.
The new Fender John Mayer Signature Model Stratocaster guitar is designed by Mayer himself. Known for playing a number of different Stratocaster guitar models throughout his career--some stock, some custom modified--John jumped at the chance to add his own preferences to a new Fender model.
"What excites me the most about this guitar is that it's not a traditional 'artist signature' model, in that it's not meant to celebrate the past," said John Mayer. "It's designed to play the songs that haven't been thought of yet, and to take a fresh approach to the songs that have."
Added Mayer, "I hope anyone who holds it gets inspired to make their own connection with it. It's got my name on the back of the headstock, but the rest of the guitar is for putting someone else's name all over it."
The Fender John Mayer Signature Model Stratocaster guitar model is a very unique combination of vintage and modern specifications. Overall, it evokes a '60s era "vibe" with vintage Fender bridge and tremolo, and vintage tuning machines. The back of the maple neck, the fingerboard and headstock are given a tinted and buffed finish to complete the vintage look.
Newly designed Big Dipper single coil pickups were designed for John's modern tastes, which accentuate the bass and treble frequencies while softening the mid-range, offering the unique tones found in Mayer's playing. They are controlled with a volume and two tone control knobs, and standard Fender 5-way switching.
Additional features on the new Fender John Mayer Signature Model Stratocaster guitar include a modern "C" shape profile with a fast satin finish on the back, and John Mayer's signature decal on the rear-side ball of the headstock.
This new model comes with a top-of-the line Incase Tour Bag. Its durable interior and exterior padded nylon construction protects the guitar's vulnerable areas as well as any hard-shell case according to Fender, and it features a unique backpack carrying system with waist belt and chest expansion. It also comes with an expandable gear pack with sections for pedals, strings, cables and other guitar accessories, and a specially designed compartment for a laptop computer.
Available colors for the new Fender John Mayer Signature Model Stratocaster guitar will include 3-Tone Sunburst with a tortoise shell pickguard, as well as Shoreline Gold with a Burgundy racing stripe. Additionally, a Charcoal Frost Metallic with Silver racing stripe version will be available as part of a limited run.
US MSRP is $1,999.99.
For more information, visit their web site at www.fender.com. | 
